arnieincostarica

Back Again!!

2010-10-24T13:13:00.000-07:00

New York! What can I say about New York?! I feel like I was, and I suppose I was, visiting an old friend. An old friend who has improved, is friendlier, brighter, bigger, and even more fabulous than when I saw them last. That was 9 years ago. Six weeks after 9/11. New York was bruised, damaged, violated then. All is better now. We take better care of her and don't take her for granite. She never did take us for granite. We were what she was all about. The people, the diversity, the appreciation of having the world at one's fingertips, all enclosed in a rather neat and convenient package. New York. Foods, lights, noises, the smells. The welcoming smell of the chestnuts roasting on the tops of the food carts, the dusty, tar-ry smell of the subway as the warm wind is pushed ahead of the trains, the smell of autumn in Central Park. Italian food wafting across the street. The many faces all displaying their own version of beauty. Museums with anything you can imagne right there for you see. Art, displays of human bodies, window shopping, celebrities having afternoon coffee just like the rest of us. Pampered puppies, ladies in stylish finery, taxis, traffic, music on the platform at 32nd Street. Institutions like Macy's, Times Square, all right where I left them. And landmarks as well - The Empire State Building, The Statue of Liberty, new ones like Time-Warner Building. The list goes on and on. New York. What else does one need to say?

Frank is one of my dearest friends. We had a great catch-up dinner at "East of 8th". I could not keep my voice from cracking or my eyes from tearing up as I told him I had the thoughts in the past that I was afraid I would never see him again - I thought our paths would probably never cross. I am glad I was wrong.

Old and new friends at Musical Mondays at SPLASH, down in Chelsea. Michael, Jordan, Jhett, and Ron! We had a blast! Broadway tunes on the big screen, happiness was overflowing. What a treat!

Art and architecture

Ran into Joel Burns who was in town to do the TODAY Show. He is the gentleman who did the very emotional "It Gets Better" video. He is from the Fort Worth City Council and is truly a gentleman and fine person. I could not thank him enough for his contribution and compassion.

JUMBO-TRON in Times Square. I am behind the second planter from the left with a small bright light in front of my face - I was taking a picture of the jumbo-tron taking our picture. Michael is to my left. Amazing technology!

The Empire State Building

The Village - typical street scene

The Village

Lions in front of the New York City Public Library at Bryant Park

Store Window

5th Avenue in front of The Metropolitian Museum of Art

HOT DOG!! Get your dirty-water hot dog, here!!!

There was the morining I got on the "C" train at 135th street. She jumped on, slung herself onto the bench and immediately began digging in her bag for lotion. She caught me watching her and returned my smile. The lady was so comfortable where she was. Her dark skin was shiny now. Her face was broad and friendly. This was a ritual done many times-riding the train was a much a part of her total being as taking a deep breath upon awakening in the morning. There was the man at Port Authority, friendly and helpful who gave me very easy directions for my next bus. The waiter from Russia - big smile, black hair and blue eyes who told us 3 times how happy he was to be in the United States and especially New York. I could go on and on. The small things I remember and will hold as dear memories. This is truly a city which keeps inventing itself, yet remains the same. A million tree campain by 2012 is underway for the 5 Boroughs making it greener - the electic/hybrid buses help too. The Bloomberg Islands all along Broadway make the Big Apple much more user friendly. My trip was fantastic. My friends are doing well - better than when I left them. They all seem happy and healthy. New York, I hope it won't be as long until next time and I want you to know, you never, ever let me down.

Are We Conditional - I think so...

2010-08-26T08:29:00.000-07:00

I just don't know what to think about all of this. I do see both sides- I'm a reasonable man and I think that two blocks away is far enough. Yep, I'm talking about the mosque in NYC. We are in a midst of a civil rights verses respect from two different perspectives of perspectives.

Our Constitution guarantees our freedom of religion. But how many people, and you may have met some them throught the years, I have, want all of us the freedom of "THEIR" religion. Us, not them. Our team. Our agenda. Our beliefs. Our party. Our way of doing business.

Does our Constitution have "conditions"? I think we think it does. Not just with religion, but with basic civil rights. I grew up in the deep South during the 1960's when the Vietnam War was on, Dr. King and President Kennedy were assassinated. I think I remember the funeral of Kennedy on the TV; not sure. I witnessed first hand segregation and secretly questioned why was it like this. Why did we have freedom and justice for all if the colored people couldn't walk into the front door of the Dr. Eddins's office in Monroeville? Why were there different water fountains? Our local laundy had seperate washers and dryers for them. Did they have something dirtier? Of course not. If I dared asked about that out loud, I would be strictly put in my place with threats of a spanking and, "You should know better than to ask something like that". I knew this answer from previous inquires into topics not understood but merely accepted among the tribe. People didn't understand. I think we still don't. I was very confused then and I am now. Have we evolved at all? Learned any lessons? Can't we just get along? Yes, we can.

When our school desegrated I was going into the 7th grade and our school system had taken the black peoples school 1 mile north of us and was going to use it as the Middle School, grades 5, 6, and 7. We were mixed, now. I remember, we stood around looking at each other for a couple of days, shy around each other really, and before you knew it there was no difference. No fights. No fear. No problems. We were fortunate. We were a small community and that played in our favor. Once the dust settled, we gave the African-American teachers the same respect as our White teachers.

I'm not a Muslim. I don't want to be. And honestly, I don't know much about that religion at all. I was raised Christian, have read many written works on different religions and philosphy. I need to continue to inform myself. I feel in time, the same dynamics will occur with the mosque as occured on the playground of my 7th year in school. We'll look around at it, realize there's nothing to be afraid of, release the fear, and gain an understanding and acceptance. Respect will then ensue.

Jeweled Combs

2010-08-23T08:28:00.000-07:00

This morning on my walk through Moravia, it was not much different than from any other day. The traffic had died down, busses had ran their principal morning routes, stores were opening. The usual.

Toward the end of my walk, I passed by an old house. This house is painted green and was probably part of a coffee plantation long since covered over with houses and small businesses. The porch has antique, Spanish tiles laid as it's center diagram. I bet these tiles weren't antique when first planned for this house. On this porch, sweeping feverishly was an elderly lady. I used the term "lady" for in a split second anyone could see that is what she was. Her hair was white as cotton and brushed into it's fashion for the day, kept in place with several jeweled combs. She had on beautiful dangling earrings and a matching necklace. It looked as though it had been a souvenir from past travels. A simple white blouse with colorful trim and a pale blue skirt was her chosen ensemble.

As I past her, I spoke, "Buenas Dias".

She looked up quickly and smiled a bright, cheerful and sincere smile and responded joyfully, "Buenas Dias"!

She kept sweeping and I kept walking. For a few more steps.

I turned around, and asked her pardon for interrupting her sweeping, (manners and humility go a long way in the Costa Rican culture), I asked did she know how much the house was across the street; pointing to a small house with a "SE VENDE" sign in the front window.

Smiling and leaning over the bannister of her porch, she said, "No sir, I don't know the price of the house, but if you call the number listed, I'm sure they can help you".

She talked a bit more about the house, and the neighborhood. Her Spanish was perfectly spoken with the same careful diction of my high school English teacher, Miss Francis Odom. I could not understand every word she said, but it did not matter. I wanted to hear her speak.

I thanked her, wished her a good day to which she wished me a good day as well.

I continued my walk and she began sweeping again.

In the first place, I was pretty certain she did not know the price of the house across the street, but that is not why I asked her.

I just wanted to hear her. I wanted to engage her - and myself. I got what I hoped for. I got sincerity, communication, a lesson in Spanish. A positive interaction. It changed my attitude.

This morning I drove Dennis to work. My impatience was toyed with as I dodged cars, got cut off and just watched what I consider to be the lack of and inconsiderate driving habits. I hate traffic and have little patience for it. My worst comes out in the passive-agressive business of driving. Until I decided to turn and ask the lady about the house, my attitude was still out in traffic - I was walking around like I was driving. Shake it off!! Get over it!! It's not personal!!

I needed that sincere, joyful "Good Morning" from the lady with the jeweled combs to get myself back to a better attitude with which to start my day over. I'm glad she likes a clean porch.

You just never know...

2010-08-22T10:08:00.000-07:00

Friday night I was over at a dear friend's house with other very, very dear friends, doing what we do best; cooking, eating, drinking, talking and discussing. We always have a great time together - always. Laughs abound.

We were all sadly touched by the tragic murder of a friend of ours. Ezri.

Ezri was not someone I knew well, in fact, I knew him and socialized with him through another friend, Andrew who was sharing his home with Ezri for the time being.

Ezri, it turns out to be, was in the wrong place at the wrong time. This hurts. This is so, so sad. I know this happens all over the world everyday in every unimaginable way, but when it hits home - it hurts you.

Naturally our conversation came around to Ezri and the events of the week. He is remembered fondly, often, happily, sincerely by many, many people. With Facebook connections, I had no idea how many people I knew, knew him. All the comments are sincere condolances of "missing a dear friend"...." May you forever rest in peace, Ezri. You will be missed.

Which brings me to the topic of " You just never know..."

We don't. We don't know. Wish we could. With all of the astrology, tarot, palm reading and ouija board technology put together, but we just don't know. We don't know what will/will not happen, when it may, what if, etc. All of us agreed that one needs to make the best of one's time on this earth, because you just don't know. We batted this topic around for a couple of innings and eventually it turned to ENCOURAGEMENT. We all began to encourage each other in the talents we have all seen in each other:

"You really should __________________ you're so good at it",

"Well, you need to pick up the________________again. You are marvelous when you play".

"I've read some of your stories, keep writing".

"I know, I just don't _________________".

"I would if ________________________".

Fill in the blanks with whatever works for you and/or any damn excuse you can think of which NONE of them make any sense.

And I'm talking to ME. I HAVE NO EXCUSES.

I have all of the encouragement anyone could ask for. I have the support of Dennis. I have the prodding of my friends. And most of all, I have myself to answer to. I have the time, the resourses and I have no excuses.

What do I want to do about this? Run out and save the world? Step in Mother Teresa's shoes?No. But, I will write on this blog at least twice a week. Observations, gripes, praises, gnashing of teeth and soothing of the brow. Whatever. Just write something. I will paint more pictures - my way. I will read. I will find work I enjoy, damn it!! I will not waste time. And I will always take a camera with me on my walks. You never know.

I'm putting this out in writing to myself. I will open myself up to me and put away fears as best I can for that day. I will be honest as I can be with myself that day. I do not want to hurt anyone's feeling, but I will say things that are on my mind if I so wish, in my fashion, and apologize not. I have the blessings from the universe. I have me. I have the support, the love and heart of a special person.

We will see what marvelous things come to me. You will hear about it here first.

Catching up...

2010-01-11T11:04:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been a while since I posted last. A lot has happened as a matter of fact. I was in Alabama for Thanksgiving and got to spend some great time with friends and family. It was cold then, but not as much as it is right now. What a blast from the North!! It's even cold here in Costa Rica.

Thanksgiving was good. Pretty typical with my neice and her family coming from Florida, my brother and his wife, Mom, Dad and myself. Not a big crowd, but a crowd none the less. My brothers kids couldn't make it. They live in Missouri, Utah, and Arizona. Maybe next time.

Dad and I got a couple of ballgames watched and enjoyed watching Alabama triumph over Florida State, setting them up for the ultimate trohpey.

It was good to see all the old gang from Foley and Fairhope. I tell ya...Fairhope, Alabama gets prettier and prettier. Met a nice guy there named Jim Tripp who is a artist. His speciality is wind art, for lack of a better term. He finds driftwood, carves a little, maybe paints it a little, finds its center of gravity and puts it on a whittled point. It moves around in the wind as stones and feathers keep its balance on the point. He gave me one. I really enjoy watching it.

Dad and I watched a few ballgames and we all took a few naps. It was good to be home.

The shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico around the 'Bama coast is like no other!! and I got a fair share of it. Got some shopping done and news was caught up on. Everyone seems to be doing well.

Christmas was back in Costa Rica. We had a nice quiet day and dinner with friends. Who needs anymore than that?

New Year's Eve was spent at Lisa and Tom's house in Escazu. They live way up a mountain and have the most beautiful view of the Central Valley from west to east. The skies cleared up and at about 11:45 the fireworks started. San Jose does not celebrate with a single or central display of fireworks. All of the municipalities have fireworks, your neighbors have fireworks and it just goes on all around you. As Tom was showing off his display of fireworks on the hill below the house, his neighbors above him started theirs and then the folks to the sides began as well. The Central Valley was absolutey shimmering for miles and miles as the fireworks welcomed 2010!!

I feel like this is going to be a good year and there are several good years ahead. It has been a long time since I've had such a feeling of security. I'm no fool. Anything can happen, but I do have a great sense of hope and growth coming our way; Dennis and I.

I have a great partner. I have a good relationship. My needs are more than met and my health is good.

Thank you, God.

Jim and Elena

2009-11-16T06:23:00.000-08:00

Jim and Elena Buie are friends of ours from Wilmington, N.C. Great folks!! It was a pleasure to have them as guests. We ate, toured and soaked in hot springs while they were here. It was a good time, for sure, for sure!! Anyway, I emailed them on Sunday morning to make sure they got back to Tarboro all right. Thankfully they did, but the adventures did not end when they got on the plane. Any of you out there who travel to any extent, especially by air, then you know the trip isn't over until you are in the house, unpacked, and kicked back in your own space. Let me interject that she speaks Spanish and he speaks English, so when they got married, each had to learn the others language.

So, his reply back to me is the story which follows:

Arnie, I didn't mean to write a short story but it is almost comical to re-hash the events of last night. So get a cup of coffee and enjoy…

Thanks for checking on us--as it seems like always; nothing went according to plan. They put on that damn bus and we had to wait for all the slowpokes. Since we boarded the bus first, we were last off. Several international flights arrived at the same and there were a ton of people waiting to clear immigration. Many people didn't/couldn't read the signs and the citizen lines were bogged down with people having to fill out forms and process visas and such. I didn't declare any food because all we had was some of the cookies from El Salvador. I thought that if it was cooked or packaged, it was OK. When the agent asked us if we had anything to eat, we said just some sweets--you would have thought we were cocaine smugglers. She said you have to declare anything eatable! She wrote "FOOD!" on our form and let us go. By the time we got to luggage claim, most of it had been claimed. Then we couldn't find one of our suitcases. We waited and waited and then the belt stopped and I thought they had lost it--but being the savvy person that Elena is, she said, "wait here," and darted like a rabbit looking at other luggage that people had claimed. Sure enough, one of the passengers had it and Elena just grabbed it! The lady said, "That's mine!" but Elena just ignored her and we finally got out of baggage claim.

I had forgotten that we had been labeled food smugglers and we waited in line until we got to the exit. Then agent gruffly said, "You have to pass through agriculture inspection!" We go wait in line there and then the agent calls us forward. We show him the cookies and a bag of chips he says, "No problem--do you have any other food?" Elena pulls out a package wrapped in plastic that looks like a ham and both the agent and I hear "Salami!" I was not aware of any other food so I had not declared it! I got upset with Elena and told her she should have let me know she had meat with her--in that moment, I thought she had bought something from the market with Dennis the night before or you guys had given her a gift of local meat of some kind. In the mean time, the agent had pulled out a huge knife and was slicing the wrapping and jabbing it with the point of the knife. I was fuming mad with Elena because these people mean business and we could have been fined or held up. By this time it is around 10:00pm, we're tired, and I am not thinking straight--we had been in Washington over 2 hours and we were still at the airport. My plan had been to be on the road by 8:30 pm and no later than 9:00--I am a naive country boy! Then it dawned on me--Elena had said "Ceramic!" I never the saw the way the lady package the piece of pottery that Elena bought on the way to Arenal and it really looked like a ham or a piece of wrapped meat. I told the agent it was a Ceramic piece and he said, I thought she said, "Salami." I said, "Me too!" I asked Elena why she had given him the pottery when all he asked was if we had any more food. She said she had been nervous and misunderstood. Then I felt bad for getting upset; but the "Salami" thing was a surprise and it held us up for another 15 minutes.

Then we get to the transportation area at last but we didn't have our cell phones with us--I thought the hotel would have a courtesy phone to call for the shuttle. I asked Elena for coins and she gave me all she had. I called the hotel and got the wrong Fairfield--I used the last of our change but got it right the second time and they picked us up. We pulled out of the hotel parking lot at 10:30 pm. There is a toll road that we had to take from the airport and I got a dollar from Elena to pay the toll--it was exact change only and we had spent all of our coins on telephone calls! With no other options, I ran the damn light and we'll deal with that tomorrow. Stopped for gas and a cup of coffee and we got home around 2:15 am. The drive home was not bad and we may have gotten home an hour later but I am not sorry that we flew out of Washington--it was just another adventure!

I had just gotten out of bed and sat down to send you a message when I got yours--so yes, we are home safely! We are the ones who owe you guys the thanks!! Putting us up, feeding us, taking the time to be our guide and taxi, the meal at Café Mundo, the trip to Arenal, the wine, the smoke, the hot springs, the gifts--it just couldn't have been any better!

We appreciate your hospitality and you are welcome at our home any time!

Jim & Elena

Alabama Walking

2009-10-29T10:13:00.000-07:00

With a cup of coffee under belt and a faint light on the eastern sky, my Dad and I would begin our walks in Uriah, Alabama. My visits home are always marked with this occasion.
In the winter, we would be bundled against the cold and the pace a little quicker. In summer, with a slower pace and bug spray smeared on all exposed skin between our necks and ankles, we would soon be solving the problems of the world.
Parking in front of the Old Blacksher house and heading south, our trek would begin with a silence as we woke up to the day. Going past the small part of town which was as close to urbanized as the town would come, our strides would fall in cadence with each other and by the time we have passed the baseball field and high school, our conversations would begin. We would start to lament about politicians, wondering “how in Sam Hill educated people could make the decisions they do” regarding our national policies. His stout Republican ideals and my more liberal views would always take us to opposing opinions and another side of an issue to be considered and discussed.
In short time our steps would be crunching on the gravel road running behind the Garrett property. It is a ten acre parcel of land with a huge white antebellum home sitting right in the middle. It is a beautiful old house that although having long since lost its luster, still clings proudly to the dignity it once had. On most summer mornings, Ben House would be picking beans or peas, cutting okra or gathering tomatoes in his roadside garden all the while swatting gnats and sweating from the viscous humidity. His work shoes would be muddy and pants wet from the knees down from the early dew coating everything this time of year.
By the time we reach Highway 21, the sky has opened to the day and life is stirring at small town speed. Taking a break in front of the Baptist Church, passers by on their way to work and drivers of logger trucks loaded with paper wood would throw up a hand in greeting. We’d continue across town, with Dad choosing the way he preferred depending on how well he felt that morning. Some folks would be sitting on porches with coffees in hand and sleepy grandbabies in welcoming laps as we strode through town.

“Mornin’, hi’ ya’ll doin’?”
”Doin’ awright. You?”
“Yep – good as can be expected. Goin’ to Mobile on Wednesday for a check up”.
“Let us know if you need anything”.
“Awrigh, see ya later, then”.

These short, common exchanges between folks you just spoke to yesterday are a part of how it’s done there. The communications of a small town don’t need a lot of rhetoric to get the message across that one is thought of, cared about, and missed if out of pocket too long.

Passing the ancient magnolia tree in the yard of Ms. Mary I might ask, “How is Miss Mary?”

Dad might reply, “She’s doing good. She decided to stop driving and seems to be slowing down a bit, but she’s doing good. Me and your Mama went to her 93rd birthday party a week or so back over at the Methodist Church. A lot of her family was there, Laura asked about you”.

Soon we have completed the circle, we have passed the water tower with the town’s name painted on its tank, we have seen flowers and weed brambles along the road, crops growing and yards tended to. There was Hootie’s Barber Shop, not yet open, but with the first early customer waiting patiently in his truck reading The Monroe Journal. School busses have begun pulling into the local school to empty its contents of children who begin running and greeting playmates before classes begin. The cotton gin, in the fall, would be filling the air with its dust and that wonderful, dry smell of cotton so special to the area. By the time we have almost completed our trip, I have caught up on who’s living in Miss Jones old house and who’s building the big new place out by the Nipper’s pecan orchard. Sandra Kilpatrick has moved back from Georgia and is running the café now and the feed mill is closing down if Mr. Reed doesn’t get out of the hospital soon - he’s been in bad shape. The people who have died, divorced and moved on have been discussed. Who has a new baby always brings a smile and a surprise to my spirit.

By the time we return home, another cup of coffee and a simple breakfast of biscuits and Conecuh Sausage hit the spot perfectly. It’s time to relax a little. Dad grabs a morning nap in his recliner while I talk to Mom up in the kitchen. I will spend some time with her later in the day, allowing her to decide where she might like to go, or what she might like to do. I feel better having heard of folks I’ve known all my life and I begin to feel the familiar connection to where my life began and am grateful that my life is good.

The Little Theater Group Road Trip

2009-10-26T10:46:00.000-07:00

We had a blast!! This is the group from The Little Theatre Group, who went on the road trip to Playa Hermosa and Hermosa Heights. We were treated great by the staff at Hermosa Heights and the owner, Rich. The food was good, the pool was fantastic and the beach only about 2 blocks away. Anyway, we all got up earlier than early to get on the road for this 4 or 5 hour drive and began the fun. We mostly arrived at about the same time, got our luggage loaded into the rooms, took a quick dip in the pool and then the real fun began. All of our props, techie stuff, and scenery had arrived so we all got busy putting together, organizing, putting our heads together to make it all work and Lo and Behold!

It did!!

We did a run through, grabbed a bite to eat, went over lines and discussed entries and bows a little further and before you knew it, SHOW TIME!!

Our first night went very well and we all were pleased. The second night, we played to a full house and we hit the mark!! Everyone did an outstanding job! The hob-nobbing afterwards and the pool party after that was such a great time. Lots of stress was relieved as we swam, talked about the play, had wines and bocas, and best of all - laughed! Threw our heads back at stories current and past and laughed!! Good for the soul!

Ann, Vicki and Mary. Ann is my fellow actor and director. Quite a talent, I may add! And a heck of a lot of fun to hang around with, as well!!

Vicki is my director and fab-u-lous to work with. Ann, Wayne and I are doing, "Twilight Zone". Thank you for all you did, by the way.

Mary was our techie with 3 plays in one, DVD's, CD's, and sound for each - well she had her hands full!!

I missed getting pics of Wayne, my fellow actor as well and Tom, who is with David in "Death Knocks".

Susan, our actor for "Sorry, Wrong Number".

Randy, producer and active member of the group.

Starting to unload the show!!

David, setting up the props

Lisa, President of LTG and fearless leader of this gang!

What a hamm!!

Speaking of hamms!!!

Beautiful Playa Hermosa

Hermosa Heights, where we stayed and staged our play!

Very, very nice pool and cabana

The countryside in Guanacaste.

Driving....and then some!

2009-10-13T09:52:00.000-07:00

I have discovered that my happiness is very dependent on traffic. The less I am in traffic, the happier I am. You can hang your hat on that.

I am pretty well traveled I have experienced many different driving styles from Alabama to Boston; I have driven and been driven all over the United States, Europe, and some Central and South American counties.
There is one thing in common with all traffic – everybody just wants to get there in their own way - with their own methods in mind. That’s just a universal fact since we started moving around eons ago.

Driving in the U.S.A. is boring for the most part. I’m not talking about scenery and majestic cities; I’m talking about the actual act of driving. The roads are in good repair and generally well marked. We are Google Earthed, GPS’ed, and mapped out the ying-yang. Well, it’s just almost too easy. Traffic congestion, removed, of course-that is its own monster. I still get a little shocky when I think about the Belt Parkway in New York and those long, long backups on Rockville Pike in Bethesda, Maryland.

There are however, some minor irritants in the midst of American Drivers and one I will mention here is the left lane driver. You know, you gotta get somewhere, times a ticking, and you’re driving along on a nice four laned highway fully equipped with a middle turn lane, it’s well marked and traffic moves along at a good speed. UNTIL….the 60 mph has suddenly dropped to about 37 mph because some driver in the left lane, who is looking straight ahead, sipping on a Big Gulp and munching Slim Jims, is so totally unaware of the bottleneck he is creating. The guy on your right, who is rightfully going slowly in the slow lane, is riding right along with Mr. Left Lane’s rear bumper and so now you’re trapped. Nowhere to go, no way around….aaarrgggh!!!! It can suck the serenity right out of my best day. Now, I do know a woman who used to get so upset about this, that at the first available chance she got, she would cut around, cut back in front of the offending Mr. Left Lane and make sure they got the signal of her pointing to the right lane in an attempt to “make them aware” and then speed off. In my opinion, if they cared in the first place, they would already be in the right lane so the lesson is mute, plus, aggravating though it may be; it just isn’t worth making an ass of yourself just to prove a point to those who don’t care in the first place.

I lived in Sicily for almost 3 years. That was the most impressively disorganized driving I had ever seen. It is like Santa Claus brought everyone a car for Christmas and they all started driving at once. Another way to describe it is to go outside, kick open an ant hill and watch them run around like crazy. That is driving in Italy for the most part. If I remember correctly, the rules of the road are: 1) if one is going down hill then one has the right of way. After all, the car one is driving may not have brakes, don’t forget to blow your horn as you approach intersections just to let them know you’re coming through and may not have brakes 2) if you flash your lights or blow your horn first, then you have the right of way, (How in the hell would you know who blew a horn first! They all do it all the time!) 3) if your bumper is ahead of the person’s bumper who is ahead of you, then it is NOT your fault….and finally, but not in the least, is rule number 4) if you are going down the road and a goat herd happens to be in the way, and you hit and kill an animal (hope it is an obviously old animal) then you must pay for the animal itself as well as any offspring it may have produced. My question to the court is: How does one calculate how many offspring an animal may produce? What if the goat is gay? Or it happens to "‘ho itself out" just to make a good profit for the herder? How do you make a defense on that?

Now I live in Costa Rica. Driving here is its own monster. There are many cars here in the Central Valley. SUV’s abound, small cars are very, very well used here. Produce trucks, semis, busses and motorcycles of all sizes crowd the two lane streets. There are no multi-laned freeways, the best is a four lane and that is not the norm for most of the highways here. Most streets are mostly marked with lanes and turn signals, sometimes not, and there are potholes galore. As soon as they get it patched it comes right back. Reminds me of when we used to pull weeds out of the farmer’s fields in Alabama- for every pig weed you pulled there were two more waiting to show up overnight!

Driving in Costa is the ugly step sister to an otherwise calm, quiet, reserved culture. I mean Costa Ricans will stand in line at the bank for forty-five minutes to conduct a 3 minute transaction and never make a face or show any sign of impatience. That would be considered rude. But they will run over you in the parking lot, believe-you-me. It is said, that the pedestrian is the most endangered species here. It’s true! People run, I mean even the elderly, will break a trot to get across a street. Cars go so fast and whip around corners like nothing ever could or would happen to be in the way. Just yesterday a little old lady was crossing the street when halfway across, a car whipped by her so fast and close it blew her skirt up. The driver was probably a young man and gave no thought to it what-so-ever. She shook her fist at him - but I can think of another part of her hand she could shake at him!

Another driving habit they have is putting on the flashers and just stopping in an active lane of traffic-maybe to buy produce, maybe to chat on the phone, maybe just because. It makes no sense to me. It causes a lot of inconvenience for the rush hour commuters. It seems dangerous, too especially when a passenger is getting out of a car. But they seem to accept it among themselves. You have to expect some of this type stuff in a city and especially a city with a different cultural environment. Acceptance is the key to serenity......

We all have driving stories to share and when I think of all the close calls that occur each and every day, well it amazes me how me made it this far. Sometimes you just have to wonder. We keep complaining about the other guy and what an idiot he/she is and we shake our heads and wonder how the law can let some of these yahoos run around loose. But we keep moving around and always will. Be safe!

Mrs. Haverson

2009-10-12T06:12:00.000-07:00

Mrs. Haverson was a woman of bulk. But that is not what you noticed about her at first. Her eyes did not twinkle; her hair was neither shiny nor styled. Her skin had no luster. What you did notice about her was a sadness, not a self-pity sadness, but a tiredness as heavy as she was.
I met her on a hot, sticky Alabama morning. One of those mornings that begins almost as hot as it left off yesterday. The evening had lost the battle to cool things down. I do remember this well. She was in Bed Number 8 of the ICU at Southern Alabama Regional Hospital. I took her breakfast to her. After we exchanged the usual pleasantries and I got her all set up, I left her room and she to herself with her breakfast. I had work to do: Doctor’s orders to transcribe, labs reports to post, seven other patients who demanded some sort of attention, and my own breakfast to tend to. It would be a long, busy day.

Mrs. Haverson was admitted to the ICU with a number of problems, mostly metabolic in nature. Her feet and legs had just enough circulation to prevent a total mummification, her hygiene, at best, had been an attempt, her diet was whatever she could get with government subsidy. Probably cheap sweets, peanut butter, canned foods which could be heated or not, and most likely purchased at the local dollar store where fresh fruits or vegetables were lacking. She was an obviously poor woman, and had been for years.

As I worked with Mrs. Haverson, I began to like her, but still there was no actual communication between us other than on a professional level. I washed her face, helped the nurse assigned to turn and clean this lady who had gradually lost most of that ability a few years earlier. Time spent with her, at this point, was totally in the line of duty. I shared a couple of laughs with Mrs. Haverson as we began to get to know each other. The short discussions when I took in a meal tray, the quick “How do you do’s” as I checked her blood sugar levels, the vital signs check at least TID (three times a day) added up to a comfortable rapport. She never complained. She never asked for more. And she had the sweetest voice.

Eventually she was moved out to the step-down unit. She was getting better, but still not able to take care of herself. The social service workers- the home health care folks were summoned to start the routine process of “taking care of someone”. I was off the day they moved Mrs. Haverson into the step-down unit and immediately missed her when I walked into the ICU after having been off for 3 days. Our shifts were 12 hours long, so we did get 3 day weekends every week and a half. It just so happens that I did get to visit with Mrs. Haverson before she was completely discharged. I got assigned to the step-down unit for a couple of days; a bit less intense than the ICU, but a busy place nonetheless.

“Good morning, Mrs. Haverson! So good to see you again. Nice to see you are improving and have been moved out of ICU. That means you’ll be going home soon!”
Mrs. Haverson, returned the greeting, but did not seem particularly proud of this upcoming fact. While her health was stabilizing, her tiredness was still very apparent.
Finally, the day before she was to be discharged, at the end of a busy shift, I stopped by her room. I don’t remember exactly why, but I did. I guess I consciously made the decision to chat for a moment with Mrs. Haverson. After all, it had been almost three weeks since I had met her and I loved that sweetness she still had in her voice.

I asked her was there anything I could get her before I go, and then I said, “Where are you from, Mrs., Haverson?”

“Mississippi” she says, and mentions a small town I had never heard of, but she tells me “it’s in Central Mississippi”. She goes on to say, she had been very poor as a young girl, “But everybody was”, she added.
Mrs. Haverson goes on with stories of picking cotton, milling sugar cane, hard winters and life on life’s terms. Many of the same stories I witnessed and heard from my parents and their parents, she retold as her own. I sat on the arm of the side chair and just listened. She had never spoken to me so much.

“Do you have any children?” I asked.

“Yes, a daughter”. Her face became a little longer, her eyes a bit distant as she pulled up memories. And all at once…
“I haven’t seen her in twenty years, and I’m not sure why”.
She finally said.
“She had a little girl, too. I have never seen my grandchild. I tried so hard to be good to her and give her the things I never had. She had her Daddy’s hard-headedness and after he died, I couldn’t do anything right by her. She took off when she was about seventeen, didn’t even finish high school. I heard she headed to New Orleans. I went down there and looked and looked, but I could never find hide nor hair of her. The police weren’t much help back then. I was never much on church, but I prayed to God to please take care of my Baby, if at least He couldn’t bring her back home”. She paused for a moment and with an even softer tone, she said,

“I heard through some distant cousins I had in Metairie that they had seen her a couple of years later and she had a little girl with her. That’s how I know about my grandbaby. They said the little girl looked like me in the one few pictures of me I do have. She might’ve been pregnant when she took off…but she had no reason to be ashamed. Things were different then”.

I just sat there listening.

“I didn’t get a good start with life and Lord knows I made my mistakes”, she started again.

The late afternoon sun slanted in through the blinds.

“I know I can’t do nothing about it now, but if I could go back, I would’a got both of us outta that town and away from that man I took up with after my husband died. There wasn’t much choice. I had to feed us. He was pure meanness, he drank a lot and no tellin' what else. I’m sure he’s why she took off like that. I was suspicious of other things happening…I guess she had every right. I should have done better by her".

And with that, and a heavy sigh, Mrs. Haverson had finally got it said and done. She seemed lighter. I guess those words had weighted a ton.

She just kept looking at her hand resting on the table pulled across her lap. Then she slowly looked toward the window. She was silently crying. She was sorry for things, for memories, long since pushed into the past. I would never know, nor anyone else for that matter, what all had happened in this ladies life. I didn’t need to know more.

My shift had ended. I got up, patted her hand and said, “Mrs. Haverson, I need to go. I want you to have a good night, now. I’m off tomorrow and the next day, but I will see you soon as I get back to work.”
She said ok and with that, I went home. I thought about Mrs. Haverson over the next couple of days. I just did. When I got back to work, Mrs. Haverson was totally discharged from the hospital. I guess the Medicare and home healthcare had been approved. I gave her a couple more thoughts and went on with routine days.

About three months later, Mrs. Haverson was readmitted to our little hospital. This time she was in a coma, the breathing tube prevented her speaking if she had wanted to. She looked, to me beyond just sick. There was some suspicion as to why she was here this time. Rumor had it she had been poisoned – with rat poison. The “companion” she lived with, a skinny, greasy haired man who used one of those electric chairs, would come by and see her once in a great while when she had been admitted before, was now just sitting there looking at her. No expression - didn’t seem to care. Just looking at her.

I just couldn’t help but wonder...

Mrs. Haverson finally passed away. It seemed a lonely passing and obviously I have thought of her over the years. The day she told me about her struggle is one of those times I will always hold special. I am glad I was somewhere I needed to be and especially so for those few minutes, on that hot Alabama afternoon, that I got out of my way and sat and listened to someone. It made all the difference for both of us.

Antigua, Guatemala ~ Wonderful!!!!!

2009-07-11T08:43:00.000-07:00

Well, Antigua wasn't high on my to do list. But after Dennis surprised me with a weekend there - my opinion of this city moved WAAAY up the ladder. I highly recommend this place. It is full of history, charm, great restaurants, friendly people and a safe and secure atmosphere. I cannot say enough good about it.....

Look it up on Wiekipedia for history and details about it. As we turned off the main road, Antigua still had not presented its personality. The colonial structure of "Behind Walls" is apparent in this photo. It's walking around that you see the details that make this place really magical.

The fountain at our hotels entrance.

The arch in the background is a landmark in Antigua. It was constructed to allow the nuns to move unseen between the monasteries on each side of the street.

Of course with the Catholic/Spanish history of this city, there are churches and cathedrals everywhere. Some in ruins, still used, or very elaborate.

For scale, these angels were a bit larger than life size.

The markets are plentiful and full. Lots to look at, explore, admire, and desire. All for a "very good price, my friend...."

Roasting corn

This is the Tanque de La Union. It was a gathering place for washing clothes in one of the city squares. Notice how smooth the rims of the wash basins are - all made of stone, not concrete.

Typical dress and style of the Indians. Very colorful and pretty. She came running up to Dennis and said, "Yo lo vendo". ( I will sell it to you). Undoubtly she has heard her father say this many time. So cute.

Very colorful busses and let me tell you...these women can put anything on their heads and go on with it. One lady walked by with a basket on her head and chickens sticking their heads of the basket. She happened by too quickly to get a picture.

These ladies are actually cleaning, picking, and spinning cotton into thread. They will make the blankets you see in the foreground.

Sausages in tomatoe sauce, refried beans, potatoes, great food everywhere you went. We had lunch under the trees in a church yard. The best fried chicken I have had since I was a little boy and my grandmother fried it up. Fresh!

On the Cerro de Cruz. Overlooking Antigua.

Another great trip. On our way back to the hotel on our last day. We turned a corner to see a blind girl down the street begging for change. And further down were two old, and I mean old ladies, walking arm in arm, taking the tinest steps possible. We dropped some change into the cup of the blind girl, and as we passed the two elderly ladies we noticed they had very little in their lives as far as possession go. Dennis turned back to give the ladies some change. As he caught up them, I saw him give the ladies a bit of money. They had to turn their heads way back to see up to Dennis's face, they were so small, like two little birds. One of the ladies placed her small, wrinkled hand on Dennis's as she took the money and asked blessings on his act of generosity. Dennis said you could not believe the look of gratitude and thankfullness expressed in their wrinkled eyes and almost toothless smiles.

Dennis started back my way. As he was returning, I saw one of the ladies share her money with the blind girl and told Dennis to look back. They were splitting the money between them. It was a very moving and emotional sight.

That's not a souvenir, that is a memory.

Animal Cruelty

2009-05-10T06:22:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while something just grabs you and won't let go. This puppy has done that to me. Since last Tuesday when I first noticed, this puppy has been tied to this window on this short leash. Sometimes they move the puppy close to the fence where he just sadly looks out - once again on a too short lease. He is friendly and yesterday when I made friends with him, he just shook out of appreciation for the attention.
I just don't get it. This is SO cruel. If they like the animal, then why treat it this way? This couple has a small boy and the lesson they are teaching him is horrible.
In my opinion, the owners should be tied up and left outside for at least 3 days to suffer like this.
Last night it rained and the puppy was left outside. Obviously there is room for the puppy to play securely in the ENCLOSED patio area.
STUPID, INSENSEITIVE, HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE people!!! I am ashamed for them!!

We talked to the owner who smiled and lied - typical. Called the police who smiled and lied - typical. There is not an organization to help animals like this.....

Any suggestions?

What a beautiful video and song!

2009-04-16T06:52:00.000-07:00

Thanks again to my friend Frank Kelly for sending me this video. I must have watched it 20-30 times already!
Ain't love grand!!!

Catchy tune!!

2009-04-13T10:34:00.000-07:00

I Can't Stop Smiling!!

2009-04-06T13:19:00.000-07:00

My friend, Frank Kelly sent me this! What a blast! Thanks, Frank! It absolutely made my day!

Livin' the Life!!

2009-02-26T13:10:00.000-08:00

We just got back from a cruise with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. We loved it!! It was much better than I thought it would be. The entertainment, the food and the ports were all superior. It is a vacation within a vacation. A wonderful aspect of this is that there were people from all over the world. This was a cruise catering to the Latin Market, so many of the passengers were from Panama, Colombia, Chile, and Costa Rica. There were many people there from other areas as well, U.S.A and France just to name a couple. The cruise staff represented 60 countries from around the world. If you have never been on a cruise, then I highly recommend this! I'm ready to do it again! Our trip included, Cartegena and Santa Marta, Colombia, Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire. Each one well worth the visit with Cartegena and Curacao being my favorites. I think Dennis agrees with me on this one, as well. Arrival in Panama City, Panama

We were shuttled across the country to Colon, Panama where we met the ship.

Emergency Drill - can't do without that!!

Cartegena, Colombia is a beautiful city with a very European flair. Lots of history involving the Spanish Inquisition, pirates, and of course, treasure. Colombia is well know for emeralds and they had some beautiful gems and jewelry for sale.

Market in Cartegena

Beautiful balconies and homes

Passing the day.....

Peaceful moment in a Santa Marta, Colombia church...

Market in Santa Marta, Colombia

Street scene in Santa Marta, Colombia

Now we are in Aruba. Love the busses.

Main shopping strip in Aruba

Beautiful beaches and ocean in Aruba

Curacao is BEAUTIFUL!! Very Dutch and colorful and clean, clean, clean.

Prettiest alley I have ever seen....anywhere!

A very interesting market in old town Curacao. Lots of very unusal items, spices, fresh fish and who knows what else.

It just doesn't get any fresher than this.

On to Bonaire!!!

Great snorkeling trip in Bonaire. The SeaCow crew was great!! The fish and coral reefs were spectacular. Even saw a barracuda.

Like swimming in a pool the water was so clear!

Quaint shops are in Bonaire, but Bonaire is not as touristy as Aruba and not as big as Curacao.

Last day of the 7 day cruise and we end it with a trip to The Panama Canal. I always wanted to see this and it was as interesting as I thought it might be. I guess I can check this one off the list.

There they are. It is not in this photo, but a ship is being towed into the canal. You actually see the ship rising as the water floods the canal and raises it up to the level of the lake in the background. The ship would move from left to right in the picture and if I am not mistaken, will exit the Canal at Colon, Panama and go into the Caribbean.

Now that's S-I-N-G-I-N-G !!!!

2009-02-10T13:56:00.000-08:00

My dear friend, Michael Donnelly in NYC, sent me this video and I am blown away. It is not often you get to see someone sing who really knows what they are doing..and to do this live, to me, is equally amazing. I hope you enjoy it....I sure do!

Better days ahead....

2009-02-09T11:30:00.000-08:00

Rainbow across the street

Well the weather finally cleared! Has it ever been nasty here with lots of strong winds and rain. Once again, the Sixola community at the border are flooded. I mean we had some weather!!! Trees are down, people without utilities, busses and trucks were blown off the roads. OY!! Anyway, it has cleared and today, while still abit cool, is a pretty day. "Un dia muy linda", as they say! It is welcomed as well.
The bright spot about the bad weather is that we caught up on some movies:

MILK - absolutely the best- Sean Penn is so believeable in this movie, I forgot it was him!!

DOUBT - absolutely the second best - what all actors should aspire to do and be!!

Revolutionary Road - heavy, but loved the period piece and her "angst" at the dullness of their lives.

Vicky Christina Barcelona - truly enjoyable. I liked it better than I thought I would.

The Wrestler - kudos for Micky O'Rourke. Welcome back!

The Changeling - Angelina Jolie is nothing short of marvelous in this movie. Well directed by Clint Eastwood and a great period piece. Highly recommended.

We are still waiting on "The Reader". and what else have I missed....hhhmmm, it will come to me later.
Anyway, we enjoyed all of these and you probably will too. I absolutely forgot about the Grammy's last night, but I am not so much into the music produced these days, so I probably would not have known who they were anyway.
That's about it for me! Drop a line when you can!

.....over the rainbow,

2009-02-05T12:19:00.000-08:00

Old Crow Medicine Show

2009-02-05T12:12:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the tropics !!!

2009-02-05T09:29:00.000-08:00

One could debate that title right now. It is really chilly here, due to a cold front which came in yesterday. A very unwelcome visitor, I might add. We had just gotten to a couple of typical summer days in Costa Rica when this came back around.
The winds are out of the Northeast, (strong enough to make you look up from the task at hand), it is ratteling roofs, and screaming around corners into every nook of the house. Houses here are not air tight, and don't need to be. On top of that, Moravia is a very wet city anyway. We catch the Caribbean breezes after they have picked up the moisture from the oceans, rivers and rain forests to the east of us. Naturally this cold front has intensified all of the regular characteristics of our region making it very, very and very, very wet.
HOWEVER, comma, I do prefer this to what is happening in the United States Right now. uuuuweee!!! I hear of the extreme cold up there right now and am content with the situation here at hand, knowing better days are ahead. Hang in there, stay warm and put on a pot of soup!!

YouTube - "Fields of Gold" by Eva Cassidy

2009-02-05T07:59:00.000-08:00

YouTube - "Fields of Gold" by Eva Cassidy

Sunday in Poasito

2009-01-19T11:54:00.001-08:00

Dennis had heard on the news that the people of the earthquake area were asking people to start coming back. They rely on tourist dollars to make a living. There are many coffee shops, restaurants, souvenirs and the like in this damaged place. Coffee, strawberries, vegetables are a mainstay of the region.
This was as far as you could go, Poasito. You can see from the signs that the crater of the volcano is still a little ways up and Vara Blanco and La Paz Waterfall are still off limits to all but rescue workers and residents of the area. Many people are still living in camps, here in Poasito. I chose not to take pictures of the camp or to post a couple of pics of homes which had been destroyed. You may find those on your own with a google search.

This was the turn around point to all but rescue workers and the delivery of supplies.

We had lunch here and it was really good, old fashioned food. The store carried strawberries (the best I have ever had), souvenirs, and was also a distribution point for donations. While we were there, several families came by to get milk, food donations and clothing. Sadly, these sorts of disasters affect in the worst way, those who have so little to spare in the first place. It was heartbreaking, but encouraging to see the amount of donations which have been given to the people of this area.

Jams, cookies,candies, and all mostly homemade.

This was not for tourists. This is a way of life in this region. Oxen are used to haul coffee, crops and whatever else is necessary.

We had coffee at a really cool coffee shop. It was very colorful, and fun. This is sign a tourist had painted for the cafe. It is true, Costa Rica has had no military since 1948, instead they voted to put that money into health care and education.

Afternoon coffee break......

Sunsets and Eva Cassidy

2009-01-19T11:21:00.000-08:00

This is a sunset behind our apartment. Isn't it beautiful!!! We are lucky to get sunsets like this in Costa Rica. I am glad I caught it for a photo. Not much happening right now - just doing some chores and listening to Eva Cassidy. WOW!! What an artist! Google this lady. Sadly she passed away not too long ago at a very young age and the world is certainly no better for it. Gladly she did get some recording done before she passed.

Tomorrow is Inaguration Day!! I am very excited for America! I hope President Obama will be able to right some wrongs, actually lead the country and enpower the people to help make the changes which so desperately need to take place. It is exciting as well, to see and hear people of another country become excited about our new phase of Democracy. Ticos (Costa Ricans), and a few tourists from Europe whom I have had the pleasure of conversing with, have all expressed a great hope in the new leadership. Yes, the world does look to the U.S.A. for many reasons. We can be the prime example of determination, dedication, and compassion. It not only comes from the top, but from us, the regular people as well. I have seen this many times in my travels where the opinion of the United States is molded by the attitude and actions not only of the leaders, but of the regular traveler as they visit other countries.
Let us work together, not be so cynical about "Change" in our email forwards.
Finally a President the country is behind. A President who is fresh, has a good vision, a good plan and someone I feel is truly "for the people".

6.2 !!!!!

2009-01-09T15:25:00.000-08:00

If you haven't heard by now, we had a rather strong and long lasting earthquake yesterday. I was here at the computer when the tremors started. We have tremors often so at first I wasn't too concerned, HOWEVER, when they kept coming, I decided I best get toward the outside. We live on the second floor and I didn't want it falling out from under me. These tremors lasted about 35 seconds! As I went through the house the pictures were askew, the windows were "waving" like water, the glasses were clinking together. As I got to the front door, the power line poles were swaying like nobody's business. The people in the park across the street were sprattle-legged trying to keep balance. It is a really weird sensation to feel the floor/ground moving like waves. We had no damage, thank God! Awesome.
The epicenter was in Alajuela, Volcano Poas on the other end of the valley. Of course, there is alot of damage to the homes, roads, and bridges in that area. There are places the entire hillside is sluffed off from itself. Not many people were seriously hurt. The statistics change as time goes by, but luckily, not many hurt or killed. I pray for those who have to clean up after that earthquake. Check out AMCOSTARICA.com or LaNacion.com (Costa Rica) and you can see some the photos of the damage.
Another item on the gratitude list for sure!

Zapote!! and Happy New Year!!

2009-01-02T05:57:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, everybody!! I wish and hope nothing but the absolute best in your lives from here on out - not just for this year!! In Costa Rica, starting on December 25 and going through January 6 is what we call "ZAPOTE". Zapote is actually a town, but it has also come to mean the carnaval in Zapote. It comes complete with rides, shows, eats and bullfights! Actually the bullfights might be more accurate to be called "bull teasing". The animals are not harmed, killed or maimed, but just aggravated enough to give a good show. The "men" get in the ring, and the goal is to slap the bull's rump and run. If the bull is especially game, then you get a good show with the bull charging and making the contestants scatter like roaches when the light is turned on. On occasion, the bull slaps back as only a bull can do. This goes on for about 30 minutes and then the bull is sent out to pasture to do what bulls do....whatever that is. A fresh bull is brought in and the show begins again. Someone is always injured to some degree, and rarely even killed. But, that is how it goes. We hope for the best......

Starting an afternoon in Zapote

Waiting for the crowds. Cotton candy, fried dough sprinkled with sugar, fried chicken and of course, chop suey. How chop suey became carnival food in Costa Rica is beyond anyone's guess.

A few beers, a faithful companion and her day is made.

Dennis hates rides, but will ride ONE and ONLY ONE!! This one was pretty exciting.....upside down, and spinning. To tell you the truth, once was enough!

Opening ceremonies

This was an acutual Matador, like I said earlier, none of the animals are harmed like in Spain or Mexico.

Rodeo clown with "back".
"I like big butts and I cannot lie...." that song comes to mind.

Here we go!!!

This is "Lila". One of the clowns. He was so funny, working the crowd all the way around the arena. I really enjoyed this day, we had a blast!

I AM HAPPY, IMMENSELY HAPPY

2008-12-29T10:18:00.000-08:00

Dennis and I spent the Christmas Holiday with some good friends from Arkansas, USA, Ted and JonPaul. Ladies and Gentlemen, it was a wonderful holiday - about as good as it gets. We had good food, good company, good rest, good drink, good conversations and a really, really good time. This sign is at a restaurant high above Turrialba, coffee country and sugar cane everywhere. I love what it says..... I am happy, immensely happy

I know, another volcano, but that is what this country is about. This is looking at Volcano Turrialba from their back patio. Beautiful view!!

Dennis, Ted and JonPaul making dinner....

Another view from their back porch.

Christmas morning....this is what we did all day.

On a bit of an outing....

This is the kitchen at the soda (small cafe) with the sign at the beginning of the blog. They are indeed cooking on a wood stove and all the ingredents are organic and grown by these good people.

These are Collared Acracaris. I saw more birds and variety of birds on this trip, just sitting on the back porch and enjoying the show. I do like to watch them.

JonPaul enjoying the view.

The front of their house. Nice place, for sure.

Sunset over the lake.

Tierra Blanca, Costa Rica

2008-12-29T09:09:00.000-08:00

On December 20, 2008, a group of us friends got together for a Christmas lunch in Tierra Blancas (White Earth), Costa Rica. The house where we met at is an old family house built in 1910-20, and was shipped to Costa Rica after being ordered from a Sears & Roebuck catalog.

Go figure!

This house is a small, cottage style house with the original wall paper, most of the original floors, a wood burning stove and the most charming gardens you could imagne. Tierra Blancas is a farming area, especially onions. It sits high above Cartago on the slopes of Volcano Irazu. A refreshing day in cool breezes, warm sun and the fragrance of the gardens mixed with newly plowed earth. Truly a great day, at a great place with some wonderfully great company!

This is a photo of the orininal house. Maria Fernanda was not totally sure of the exact date the house was built.
This is the tierra blanca (white earth) the town is named for. This is a mineral used to make what we would call hominy. Cute house, huh!!

Looking down the mountain side toward Cartago.

One view of the garden

Next to the doorsteps

One of the bedrooms. Small beds and check out the closet space - two of them!!

The kitchen, complete with a wood burning stove

Bathroom

Making a bouquet from the side garden

Dennis took this picture. Maria Fernanda and Marco in front,

L to R: Kimberly, Laura, and Renee.

Me in the back, of course.

Bocas del Toro, Panama

2008-11-27T13:37:00.001-08:00

Dennis surprised me with a trip to Boca del Toros, Panama to celebrate our 8 years together!! He knows I LOVE this type of trip to include, snorkeling among coral reefs, toucans in the trees, fried fish with a sassy Carribben sauce ladeled over it and a cold beer to wash it down. There are excursions to islands with dolphins along the way, guided tours to let you in on local secrets and shopping and exploring in quaint shops and roadside vendor sheds. Boca del Toros is an archapelago along the north western coast of Panama, not too terribly far from the Costa Rican border. We took a bus to enjoy the trip along the way.....well, things took a different turn. The biggest rain storm since 1944 started soaking the area on Friday evening just after we arrived and it did not completely stop raining, at any time, while we were there. Many areas are still flooded, banana plantations are ruined, homes are washed away and many, many people are displaced. Our 3 day trip ended up being a 6 day trip. The roads were washed out or flooded, we lost phone, email, and cell phone service. The ocean was too rough to cross, of course and until Wednesday, no air travel. However, we were safe and sound in our hotel room and there was plenty of food, books to read, rest to catch up on and lots of heart to heart talks. Maybe it is best it worked out this way. It was a great weekend, but just not what we had in mind. Never let it be said, we don't make the best of it, which is what we did. Thanks, Dennis....a very special weekend it was, indeed!!!

Getting ready to cross the border.

Yep, this is the bride that crosses the Sixaola River seperating Costa Rica and Panama. It is one lane and is shared with pedestrians, trains, cars and trucks. A few go one way for a while, then it is the other side's turn.

Whew!! Made it....passport is stamped, and we are all ready to re-board the bus and head out!

We took a water taxi out to Bocas del Toro. This is what many of the homes look like along the way.

We arrived on Friday evening and this is what we woke up to on Saturday morning. Man, did it ever rain. It may still be raining!

With a slight reprieve from the rain, we poked around town. This is a map of the area in front of a tour boat business. The island on the top right is where we were. Mainland Panama is at the bottom of the map. Use google earth and check it out for yourself!

Love this picture!!

Well, by Monday the rains had slowed and there were periods when it actually did not rain. Our tour guide did put together a little bus tour and took us to a cave with a sacred statue that used to disappear when removed, but always made it back to this spot by the next morning. So it has be shrined at the mouth of this cave. Whatever....anyway, a rather interesting place nonetheless.

Panamanians hanging out.

Beach soccer, anyone?

Wednesday morning and finally some blue sky!! Nice shot of part of the water front in Bocas.

A bit of a bumpy flight but, finally safe and sound back in San Jose, Costa Rica.

Great trip!!

JACO!!! Surfers paradise.....

2008-10-06T06:50:00.001-07:00

Jaco is a very interesing beach town. We were lucky enough to get invited along by Matt, John, and John's mother, Joan who is visiting from Boise, Idaho. Jaco is the closest beach town to San Jose and a surfer's paradise. The town runs for about a mile or so along the beach and is typical of such a place. There are the usual souvenir shops, day trip offers, surfboards and apparel and amazingly a great variety of good restaurants. When I first started coming to Jaco, it was a very small, un-developed place and I loved it. It has been a couple of years since being in Jaco and it has changed with high rises, KFC's, Subway, and lots of other "imported" crap. But to my surprise, it has not lost it's origianl charm-yet. Hopefully it won't.

This weekend was cooler, a bit drier and quiet - tourist season has not begun yet, but look out December when they arrive by the plane loads...it gets B-U-S-Y and prices go way up. Anyway, great place to check out and maybe spent a night, but if you are visiting Costa Rica and want to experience alot of variety and more authentic Costa Rican culture, then there are other places with just as much or more to offer. This is actually Punta Leona....beautiful beach!!

Jaco Beach

One of the high rises being built. Progress can be good....the town is cleaner and a bit more manicured than before.

Going to surf.....

Happy Camper??

Now that's advertising to catch the eye!!

Wild Scarlet McCaws in the trees above where we camped on the beach for the day. SO COOL!

Nice Beach-scape

Lump on a log....hahaha

Dennis beachcombing

Matt, Dennis and Joan

Dennis, Matt and Joan at one of our favorite restaurants. John was just never around for a photo.

We all had a great time!!

NUNSENSE!!

2008-09-21T09:36:00.000-07:00

http://picasaweb.google.com/manuelmatarrita/NUNSENSE

Check out the link above to see more of the Nuns on stage and in action!

(You may have to cut and paste it into your browser.)

As you know, I have been busy with this production of NUNSENSE and it have been a blast!! These ladies and gentlemen have worked their patooties off learning dialoge, songs, jokes, skits, dance steps and all that goes with this type of theatre. I have learned alot from everyone and this has been a pleasure, a challenge and enlightening in many ways. I always wanted to work in theatre and here it is!!

Cast and crew: Back row is Alonso Saavedra, our piano player. He is aspiring to be a concert pianist and I think he will make it. Great guy! Dorothy Allison our director and mentor, Bob Allison, Music Director.
The Nuns are: Pilar Saavedra-Vela as Sister Mary Amnesia, Lindsy Gutierrez as Sister Mary Leo, Shelia Morrison as Sister Robert Ann and Stacy Chamblin as Reverand Mother, Sister Mary Regina. Down front is Sherrie Robinson our Choreographer and Kathryn Smith as Sister Mary Hubert. Great group of folks!!
Jim Trollinger, our drummer with Sherrie. His talent made a big difference in our musical numbers. Thanks, Jim!!

Morgan O'Boyle, my sound and tech man. We didn't get a photo of Paulino, my light guy, but without these two, the show would not have been half as good! I am grateful to have had them to do what they did and teach me more than I thought I ever wanted to know about lights and sound. My hat is off to these guys!

Two of the cutest Nuns you will ever know. This is Ann Antkiw and Lisa DeFuso our intermission Bingo Nuns!! They did a great job!!

This has been a fabulous experience for me!

Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle all the way.....

2008-09-01T06:55:00.000-07:00

If you think the U.S.A. is guilty of "rushing" Christmas, just come on down here and we'll take a shopping tour of the PriceSmart (Costco or Sam's in the U.S.A.) and we can start picking out Christmas Decorations. Yep, you read it here first. Christmas Decoration are already on display not only at PriceSmart, but also Aliss. We were in there yesterday and saw them ourselves. Now, they don't have Halloween and Thanksgiving to buffer the Christmas crunch, but holy-moly....Christmas in August??!!! I actually should have blogged this two weeks ago when we first saw the PriceSmart displays. Oh well.....
Now this brings me to Mother's Day in Costa Rica. It is celebrated on August 15 - no matter the day of the week and it is a Federal Holiday....they shut down!! Not bad. Other than that, it is the typical Mother's Day along with flowers, lunches and various appliances go on sale.
Commerce is commerce.....
Have a happy day!

A Beautiful Sunday Morning.....

2008-08-31T06:56:00.000-07:00

There is sun shining, a soft, cool breeze and the sounds of people singing at the church in the distance. You just can hear the chants - a very calming sound.
Well, we are one week from opening "Nunsense" and I am ready and I know the ladies playing the nuns are. This has been a great experience. If I had it to do over again, I would have majored in theatre. But, the bright side is, I'm majoring in theatre now.....you gotta love it!!
We have been putting hours upon hours in to rehearse, get lights set, blocking the stage movements, (and doing it again to get it right) painting walls, cars, counters, etc. You won't believe we turned the dark, gray and black stage into a bright, happy diner/gymnasium. If you get time, look up "Nunsense" on YouTube; there are some pretty good clips from the broadway show on that website.
Dennis is doing well. Working hard and managing the troops at this place of employment.
I am worried about that storm "Gustav". Looks like a terrible storm to hit the Gulf Coast again and I am praying for all concerned there. Let's hope for the best and people will use common sense this time.
How about McCain's choice for a running mate?! A very intelligent strategy. This is going to be a very interesting election year. I wonder if the election booths are tamper proof this time and the U.S.A doesn't have to go through the embarrassement of the past Bush elections. Let's hope so....
Well, I will keep you posted as to what is happening....All is good and well!
Arnie

Still here....

2008-08-19T08:11:00.000-07:00

Hey,
Well, I haven't been on any trips to speak of lately and to share with you. But....I have been busy, that's for sure.
As you may know, I am stage manager for a production of "NUNSENSE" here in Costa Rica, being produced by The Little Theater Group. It is alot of fun and alot of work, too. I have learned so much about doing this type of work. I often wondered what it would have been like to go into theatre instead of the Navy.....well, the time in the military certainly paid off and I really don't have any complaints about how things have turned out.
Anyway, we did go to a very interesting production of "FAUST" by the Costa Rica Opera Company. While it was beautifully staged, it was very hard to follow the scenes being played on stage and the story being sung. While I am not sure I "liked" it, it was so very artsy-fartsy it was hard not to, at least, appreciate it.
Then there are our weekly and bi-weekly get-togethers. We love to gather at someone's house, cook, have wine, and usually watch a movie.....Sunday night at Ray's it was "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane". Great old movie with Bette Davis and Joan Crawford that still holds up today, especially on the "suspense and creepy (distrubing)" aspects of this type of movie. I highly recommend it.
Well, that about catchs you up. Hopefully, I will have some great stuff to blog about as the show progresses and we have Opening Night!
See ya later!
Arnie

TAP!!

2008-07-28T10:34:00.000-07:00

My friend, Frank Kelly, from New York, shared a video a while back with the Nicholas Brothers dancing up a storm. I love tap and frankly, who doesn't?!
I hope you enjoy these clips, too.

We have been getting busier and busier with the production of NUNSENSE. What a great show! If it plays locally to you, please make the effort to go see it. Lots of laughs and fun. Our "Nuns" are a great cast of gals who certainly have the heart and soul to do this - not to mention the talent.
I have been learning to Stage Manage with this show. What a big job it is...even bigger than directing, but I am enjoying myself and thank goodness, I am not the director. They have too many things to think about.
All is well in my world for now. Take care and blog soon!!

New Arrivals to Costa Rica

2008-07-21T06:16:00.000-07:00

Well, they finally got here!! Rob, Jennifer, Nicko, and Henry Horshman from Wilmington, N.C.
These folks are some of the best people you could come across. We were neighbors in Wilmington and always had get-togethers, dinner parties, theme parties and nice long sits in rocking chairs on the front porch. It had been their dream for years to finally move to Costa Rica and the dream has manifested!! Welcome, welcome, welcome!!
They are living in Atenas. A little mountain town known for its climate - "the best in the world" according to National Geographic Magazine.
So we go to visit on Saturday and attend a welcome party given for them by the locals. We ate, sang karoke (not me...didn't want to break up the party!), danced and caught up with the latest news. Everybody had a good time. We are so glad they are here!

Rob, cool dude!

Nicko, starting first grade and new adventures.

Jennifer with Henry, he's the shy one!

Jennifer, Henry and Nicko

Jennifer, great gal!!

BAT! MAN!!

2008-07-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

About two weeks ago, at around 3:30 in the morning, I hear a pppptttttthhhhh. ppppttttthhhhh. pppptttthhhhhhh.

Something is flying around the bedroom.

I lay there and listen. I decided it was not one our finches that had somehow gotten out of the cage. Besides, they sleep all night, anyway. As my eyes adjust, I see it flying around from one window to the next.

A bat!!

I wake Dennis up and we are now wondering how to get it out......how it got in, is a mystery as well.

As I go to open the door so maybe we can shoo it toward the outside, Dennis fans a t-shirt at it and hits it, of course, knocking it down. We thought we had killed it. Anyway, I put it outside on the window ledge and left it alone. It stayed there all day, breathing but very still. We checked on it often and I found it to be very interesting as I had never seen one so close before. We assumed it was dying and would bury it in the park across the street.

Well, we come home that evening and it was gone. Hopefully it got its strength back and took off. Happy ending.....!!

Puerto Viejo....again

2008-07-07T14:52:00.000-07:00

Dennis and I went back to Puerto Viejo again to celebrate our birthdays. This is one of our favorite places in Costa Rica. This place takes casual to a different level. It is famous for surfing and you can find all sorts of folks visiting or living here. Located almost as far south on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica before you hit Panama, Puerto Viejo is represented by about 55 countries. The variety of restaurants is a good indication of this fact. You can chow down on local cuisine of a whole fried red snapper, sea bass encrusted with macadama nuts on coconut rice or have a big bowl of Roon Doon. Roon Doon is a local dish much like the Gulf Coast's gumbo. If you say Roon Doon with a Carribbean accent you hear the actual meaning of "run down". This was a dish of whatever Mama could "run down" for dinner. Bits of local fish right off the boat, potatoes, acotes, onions, lobster, shrimp...just whatever she could find that day. Delicious!!

This is where we stayed on Punta Uva, a bit out of town. Their website: Pachamamacaribe.com is a great web site. Check it out. We would stay there again, for sure.

Sorried up.....

This is the main street with the street vendors. Fun to look at and browse at the locally made trinkets and souvenirs.

Bikes are the main means of transportation, followed by scooters, walking, and then autos or trucks. Of course, the busses pass through town as well.

This is a local pulperia or convenience store. Not a lot of variety will be here, but you can buy eggs, beer, sodas, and other daily necessities without going into town.

We were walking along the road and came across these kids playing in the streets. They were friendly, funny and just having a good time. It reminded me when we were kids and could run around and openly play without having to worry about the meaness so common today.

I always enjoy this area. We were lucky enough to see sloths, toucans, monkeys and hummingbirds galore!! If you come to Costa Rica, do include Puerto Viejo as part of the trip...you won't be sorry.

Birthday after birthday after birthday.....

2008-06-24T09:51:00.001-07:00

Well here I am!! Finally!! I've been waiting for it.....
50 years old......what a mind-load.

As one might expect, alot of my thinking is way different now. And most of it is very hard to explain unless you are approaching or are already 50 or older. It used to seem SO old....now, not so much.

Ideas, ideals, thought processes, my level of physicality and spitituality is way different from what it used to be; as it should be. Thank God for growth and change!!!

Don't ask me for too many specifics just yet, because I am still discovering this new "me" as well. One of the blessings of getting older started in my forties. I started waking up and was just not so concerned with the approval of others, I did not need to extend myself so much, and gradually entertained less and less the idea of wanting or needing to extend myself to those with different agendas, but also realizing that most folks are just trying to do the best they can.
I am learning not to take life too personally....shit happens...it just does. Not to me, not necessiarily because of me, it just does. Deal with it and all will be fine in the end. I will make more mistakes, and in the process of living have learned to be easier on myself as I amend percieved misfortunes. I will do good things, some with intention and some accidentially. I think I will reward myself with contentment, not with something to show off.
I have a new language to learn, a new way of communication, both as a more mature person and as an expatriate to Costa Rica. I have many new adventures to share with Dennis, more stories, more memories to gain, more experience to share and rely upon.
I above all, have more peace, contentment, and happiness now, than I have ever dared to dream about. I have Dennis to thank for much of this. "Thank you, Dennis" you lead the way.
Dennis had a birthday on June 7. Wish him Happy Birthday or Feliz Cumpleanos......

This was a great dinner party at La Casa de las Guapas. They did such a great meal for us and we all had a blast!! This is Anna, Indiana, Ali, and Carolina, great friends!!

Dennis's 4oth and my 50th birthday. One of many dinner celebrations together.

This is just a small representation of the candles on the cake.....there could have been many more!!

David, Enrique, and Victor at our place for pizza and cake.

Marco and Kimberly

Laura with her pretty white smile!!!

Dennis and Maria Fernanda chilling on the sofa....

Dennis, me, Ema and Andrew.....another nice evening with friends.

My life is good. Isn't that the goal, afterall?

La Pacificia, Canas, Costa Rica

2008-06-09T14:15:00.000-07:00

La Pacificia is a hacienda dating back to the 1800's and currently is a resort of wonderful relaxation and rural beauty. It maintains itself by growing its own vegetables, beef and fish all of which are served in its 5-star restaurant. In fact, La Pacificia boasts as the the first organic rice producer in Costa Rica and maintains this claim today. This is an all inclusive resort complete with pool, restaurant, horseback riding and a short drive to the beach, (if you just have to leave). Usually when we arrive, we stay right there until we leave. This past weekend we enjoyed sunny weather at the pool and excellent rain showers in the afternoon where we gathered under the deep veranda for glasses of wine and fine meals. You can just feel your blood pressure steady decline in this environment. Our dear friend, Luis Erra is the manager and you just could not expect to find better service and hospitaliy. This resort is a treasure!

Part of the welcoming committee.

This pool is right beside the open air restaurant. Nice touch.

There are deer which freely wander the grounds. This fellow came by to say hello as we were having lunch.

The main entrance leading back toward the cabins.

Some of the parrots which are at home here. Many of these animals have been rescued. They also have pheasants, green parrots, geese, and chickens.

These are pics from in town. We did need to run in for a couple of things. The bandstand and the church as well as the park benches are all covered with shards of ceramic tile. They are very pretty and unique - I had never seen this done to such an extent in Costa Rica.

Ridin' the bus.....

2008-06-03T13:25:00.000-07:00

Yours truly off for another adventure in Costa Rica!!!
The bus route is printed on the side of the bus. Now, if we could just get them to post bus stops, especially in San Jose. They guard those facts like State Secrets. I have caught a bus at a proper covered bus stop or at an unmarked corner where "everybody has been catching a bus there since I can remember". Keeps things interesting.......

I love mass transit! When I lived in Washington, D.C. and NYC I used it all the time and I use it in Costa Rica as well. Now coming from Southern Alabama, my introduction to "mass transit" was moving Mr. Barnett's cows from one pasture to the next. Quite literally "cattle car" comes to mind.

Costa Rica is wonderful for mass transit, just let me say. There are buses and taxis which can take you anywhere your little heart desires in this county. There are buses for town, city, rural and crosscountry trips. There are comfortable buses, and those not so - like no shocks and hard plastic seats....whoa, Nelly!!! There are big yellow and blue buses, small white buses and big new blue buses. I like those as they are generally more comfortable. Now none of them have air conditioning - you just dont' need it here. If you are on the bus and sitting on the side the sun shines in, well, just get up and move to another seat and open the window. It is just that simple and suddenly you are alot cooler. The only time the buses are miserable is when it has been raining and now it is packed full -I do mean FULL- of wet Ticos and dripping umbrellas at rush hour. Just avoid them at this time and take a taxi.

Then there is the Bus Driver. God bless him!! They drive in this traffic all day long and they are nothing short of artists for weaving in and out of congested traffic, taking a light that is close to red, changing lanes and zipping through neighborhoods like nobody's business. Have you ever had a bus 10 inches from your car door at about 30 miles per hour and somehow, a motorcycle manages to take advantage of this window of opportunity to get ahead of you? Oh, yeah, there is a bus on the other side of you as well as you turn into the rotunda hoping nothing is bigger than the bus on the other side of the bus!! OY! Let us pray......

So, anyway, I had been planning to take the PERIFERICA. This is a bus which goes all around San Jose and into various barrios or neighborhoods. It swings by the college, the lower end of the blue collar life in Hatillos, and by the richest cemetary in the country. I was all over the place and now know a few new neighborhoods and streets which connect them. A day well spent, if I do say so myself.

The bus was moving too fast for pics (imagne that), but I saw some very interesting sights along the way. For instance, this chap was out shodding horses while in the same barrio, just down the hill, was a multi-million dollar sports arena complete with track and field. Then there was the lady at a bus stop, hand on hip, high white hair, dressed to the nines with 4 inch hills, black lace outfit and Jackie O sunglasses, totally ignoring the drunk in the middle of the road playing matador with the bus. I don't if the driver or the drunk swerved but no "speed bump" was noted. Really, I 'm not clever enough to make this up.

A very good courtesy I have found here is respect for the older citizens. The first two rows of seats are reserved (Asientos Preferenciales) for pregnant women and especially the older patrons. However, if all these seats are taken, I have never seen a younger Tico or Tica not give up his or her seat for the senior. The bus drivers give them a little more time entering and exiting the bus as well. Now me or the younger folks had better get on and hang on or get out, cause this bus is leaving the station. Like I said, just keeps things intersting.

So when you get here, the Periferica is on the list of things to do and we can see the city and all its glory. Two hours worth of entertainment, education and cultural diversity for 260 colones. Not bad.....see you soon!

In Memoriam

2008-05-26T12:20:00.000-07:00

Today is Memorial Day. A very important day of rememberance and gratitude for persons most of us don't even know. I think those who died in military operations and now serving would appreciate this small gesture. I know I do.
Being a military veteran, the day becomes more special as I get older. Things seem to happen that way. I had a very quiet career in the Navy and was, to my knowledge, never in harm's way. Certainly not like the military personnel of today. I wish them safety and God's grace.
However, this holiday weekend carries a much deeper meaning and a more profound rememberance for me. This is the weekend my brother took his own life 17 years ago.

Chris was a magnetic personality, a person whom other people sought out for company, for fun and laughs. He was a wonderful father to his daughter - lessons he learned from his own father, lessons of compassion, patience, and love. He looked at the best people had to offer and chose many times, to allow the mis-givings of others to pass by as not that important. He had a smile which could light up a room. A sense of wonderment at places yet unseen, a love of Elvis bigger than any fan could imagne, were all parts of his joy.
The demons which took root in his soul were never to be shaken off, never to be understood, or arrested. They stayed until they got all of him. His death was at a time when conditions like his were less talked about, and considered by many to be more of a personal deficit in character, or a weakness. This is not true. He was neither weak, nor had a deficit in his character. The pain he felt was far too great of any of us to begin to imagne-a soul too tortured to continue an earthly journey. His Mother and Father were there to love him through it all. His brothers offered encouragement and support in efforts attempted. Never was he left to fight on his own but it was not enough. His heartbreaking decision is vastly too complex for any of us to really understand.
Chris is missed by so many of us. It has been a long time since that weekend, and the emotions which come with this type of demise are softer now - less jagged and maybe, just maybe, a bit more understood.
There are no hard feelings left - just not worth it to harbor such.
Chris was loved then, and he is loved now.
Godspeed, little brother.

BANANAS! PAPAYAS! MANGOS! OH MY!!

2008-05-19T09:22:00.000-07:00

Well there is no excuse for not eating your fruits and vegetables here in Costa Rica. Fresh produce is everywhere and produce in season, is cheap, cheap, cheap. It is very tasty too!!

Love it!

This guy will bring it to your car. Now that's service!!

Fruits, vegetables and re-cycle center. One stop shopping!

I use this place between trips to the market. Nice folks work here and I always get "con feria", which means, "a little more".

This is the market in Guadalupe. Much larger than the one in Moravia.

Once again, car side service.

Volcan Barva

2008-05-19T08:13:00.001-07:00

Dennis and I had been planning this hiking trip for some time now. This is the Volcan Barva a part of the the Braulio Carrillo National Park. The mountain is dotted with small farms, (fincas) mostly for milk and cheese production. Let me tell you, the air up there is so clean and fresh it is unbelieveable!! It starts getting cooler and cooler, but the sun kept it nice and comfortable all day. In fact, this is a cloud forest with different types of vegetation than a rain forest, however on this day, we had sun all day - lucky us!! The hiking took us about 4.5 hours and was just over 8 miles long. Yep, at least half was uphill. We were tired but in a good way and did I ever sleep good Saturday night. Even the trip back was really neat. We stopped at a local restaurant and enjoyed one of the best meals I have had here and a show of hummingbirds right outside of our window. We stopped and bought homemade cheese a little further down the mountain.
A very nice day.....

Here we are in the town of Barva asking directions. The mountain we are going to is the one in the background.

A view of San Jose from the slopes of Volcan Barva.

Along the trail in the park; most of it was easy and well maintained. However, toward the second crater the trail became more like "hiking" as tree roots and muddy places became more common.

This plant is called the Poor Man's Umbrella, (La Sombrilla de Podre). Can you guess why? And it wasn't even the biggest one we did see.

The pond created by the crater.

Dennis at one of the overlooks. You can see the clouds starting to build.

Too Cool!! Ol' Bessy just standing by the road watching the day go by.

This is where we bought the homemade cheese.

Tree Planting & Jaguars

2008-05-13T14:11:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, Mother's Day, I went over to Santa Ana, the Onion Capital of Costa Rica, (for that Jeopardy Question) and participated in a tree planting/reforestation project at the Centro de Conservacion in Santa Ana. It was a blast. I found out about this through the Democrats Abroad. Kathy, our coordinator, is a very sweet young lady from Manhattan who is here to learn and participate in conservation efforts. This community picnic and play area was a bit neglected by local governments and this was a good way to help bring in some much needed attention and awareness. There were many people there from the community and student volunteers participating in this worthy project. On this property are animals which have been injured, abandoned or confiscated from people who could not take care of these animals; especially the jaguars. Normally the jaguars are off limits to the public, but on this occasion, we were allowed to go back to the enclosures and look at these big cats. They are nothing but beautiful!! We planted a tree, relaxed abit with some refreshments and had a really nice Sunday afternoon.

Kathy and I at the tree planting area after the tour of the museum, the grounds and the animals.

Kerry, Kathy, Paul's Mom, Judy and Paul from Democrats Abroad. Great group of folks!

Yep! We were that close. They had 6 jaguars and kept the males and females apart due to agressive behavior in the closed quarters, normally they are solitary creatures. They all seemed to be pretty docile, except for one which was very agitated. They are very loud when they snarl and roar. Impressive!! They hopefully will raise enough money and awareness to improve the enclosures. Let's hope they do!

The Central Market downtown San Jose

2008-05-12T12:32:00.000-07:00

This is the Central Market at the end of the Pedestrian Mall in central San Jose. It covers at least one square block of the city. Let me tell you....you can find almost ANYTHING in here. They have all these winding, intersecting corridors lined with booths of housewares, souvenirs, food, spices, costumes (note the little girl with the "I can't believe Mommy is making me do this" look on her face), meats, fishes, flowers, coffee and numerous "sodas". A soda is a small cafe with a limited menu of local dishes and usually includes the "casado" which would be our blue-plate special. The casado would consist of a small portion of meat, chicken, beef, pork or fish, rice and beans, salad, fried plantain and a desert along with a "refresco" or juice. You can buy fruits and vegetables, leather goods, shoes, t-shirts, herbs and vitamins, pets and baskets. All sorts of items. This is one of my favorite places to browse and wander. I don't think I have ever exited the same way I entered. When you come visit, we will surely do this...You will LOVE it!!

Fire! Fire! Fire!

2008-05-12T12:03:00.000-07:00

Yep, where there is smoke, there is fire. Here's the story: Saturday Dennis had to work so I decide to go downtown to the Central Market and take some pics for a blog (previous blog). As you see in the photos it had begun to rain. Now, the rainy season has just started and it started raining much earlier in the day than I anticipated. But, hey, we all know the weather don't wear no watch and don't use no calender.

No big deal. If you live here, you carry an umbrella and go on about your business. I had planned to get an exotic lunch in the Central Market, but changed my mind when I looked up at the Q-Cafe and saw an available table. I like the Q-Cafe with its stylishly cosmopolitian New York-ish open second floor.

I get my table, place an order for a cup of coffee and thai chicken salad. In a very few minutes the waiters start pointing out the other side of the cafe as well as the kitchen help is coming out to see what is happening. I also notice the folks on the street are starting to stop and look upward. You know it!!! I had to get up and go see myself. Thank goodness I did not see what my dirty mind thought I might see......

A fire has broken out across the street at a third floor restaurant that backs up to a mission for folks in recovery. It does not take long for a crowd to form, and smoke to start leaking into the restaurant I am in.....a little heat creaping over too as the fire, which started out as you see in the pics, starts to grow

Well here comes the firemen, (los bomberos) and the police (il policia) and they get to work!! Shutting down stores, moving folks around and setting up boundaries. I start thinking, " I hope some fool doesnt' lock us up in here". Give me my salad to go......remember I mentioned the heat?!

No need to say it - no sooner did I think "get it to go", than the waiter brings a to-go box, my bill (la cuenta) and follows everyone else out the door. ME TOO!!

Broke up my day!

All was good and the newpaper stated today that no one was hurt and the cause of the fire could have been the restaurant or the mission. It had not been determined as of yet.

Un gran arbol......

2008-05-08T07:34:00.000-07:00

This is one magnificant tree. It is a variety of ficus and the neighbors claim it is about 85 years of. It is at the other end of the park across the street from our place. In the evening parrots make it their home for the evening. I do enjoy trees.

Good Morning!!!

2008-05-08T07:03:00.000-07:00

I was helping the Little Theater Group prepare for the opening of "Twelve Angry Men". The Little

Theater Group (LTG) is the oldest english speaking theater group in Central America. It is a wonderful group of people, too. I have always had fun in the company of these folks. The people involved in LTG are from all over the place and many have lived here for many, many years. It is so interesting to talk to them and discuss the changes they have seen occur. Everyone has spoken of how quickly the changes came about. For instance, Susan, (not pictured) who has lived here for 17 years, says back then there was about 300,000 people living in the Central Valley and hardly any cars. Today, over a million people live in this area and traffic congestion is incredible. I prefer many times to take the bus, walk or use a taxi. All very afforable and convenient modes of transport.

Anyway, this is Andrew and Vicky with me as we stain some molding to be used on the set. The set looks great, the production and players will be fantastic, I am sure.

Well, I hope you all had a great night's sleep. I slept like a log. Yesterday I did my walk, but included some jogging/running back into the routine. I have missed running and hopefully can ease back into what I used to do. Now, the old body protests sometimes, but dog-gone-it, I have to move around. Bottom line is I did a good work out and slept wonderfully.

Today plumbers are here to hopefully fix a problem with the shower drain. Seems it does not drain so well due to a construction error. This building is a new construction and who knows why, but the shower has started to back up a bit and that aint' good. Our landlady is really good about getting things done and taken care of - that is a blessing. When I owned a house/condo, there was always something to do or needed doing. I cannot imagne having to tend to multiple properties and all that would go with that ......OY!! Not for me.

Nice Weekend....

2008-05-05T06:26:00.000-07:00

I hope you all had the weekend you wanted!! Not much to report here. We did go to a karoke party on Saturday night and had a good time. Thank goodness I wasn't the only there who would be reduced to tears if Simon Cowell were judging......singing is not a talent I have, but hey, you join the party and give it a whirl.

Sunday Dennis had to work and I got invited to Andrew and Emma's for Sunday brunch waffles and it is always a good time at their house. They left last night on a red-eye to Amerstdam, Paris, and London. I am wishing them a most fab-u-lous time and safe return. Ray, who is the night manger for Cafe Mundo, one of San Jose's better restaurants and places to be seen, was there. Lots of laughs, stories to be told and time well spent with friends was how I spent my Sunday morning and after a great walk around the area I was ready for a good breakfast.

I took my camera with me this time as I have missed a couple of interesting shots on my walks. The above photo is of a Sunday morning soccer game. They love soccer like North Ameicans love football and fast food - can't seem to live without it. Sometimes, in some of the smaller towns, it looks like the town was built around the soccer field.

Well, back to the "grind". Love you all and have a great day.

Las Vacas! Las Vacas! Las Vacas!

2008-05-02T08:25:00.000-07:00

This was a fun day of touring downtown San Jose to see the "Parade of Cows". There are about 200 or so of these art pieces done all my Costa Rican artists with various sponsors. Lots of imagination involved on some of these. Here is a photo of Dennis and Andrew during the tour.

New Books

2008-05-02T08:17:00.000-07:00

These are some new books I have recently read. Any comments? I highly recommend each one of them.....

National Orchid Show, Cartago, Costa Rica

2008-05-01T06:06:00.000-07:00

Hotel Irazu

2008-04-30T10:19:00.000-07:00

We went to the National Orchid Show and afterwards went up the Volcano Irazu, almost to the crater actually. This hotel is were we had lunch of delicious black bean soup and rabbit stew. The hotel was built at the turn of last century and then people had to come up the mountain on horseback to look into the crater. Nice and cool up here too!!

The last two photos show the view from where we were overlooking potatos fields onto the town of Cartago. There is almost always an awesome view in Costa Rica.

Puerto Viejo

2008-04-30T09:55:00.000-07:00

These are some shots of the gang when we went to Puerto Viejo, my favorite beach town.
Sorry I don't have more pics of the town itself, but I will on my next trip. I did not have blogging in mind yet on this trip.

Dennis, Laura, Vicki, Kimberly, and Maria Fernanda on the beach just down the path from the house. Beautiful gardens, millions of birds and butterflies. And we had a very special visitor. Every time I have been in Costa Rica I have been looking for a sloth, mostly because they are so hard to see in the treetops. We were sitting on the porch and here came a three toed sloth down the vines. What a treat to watch....they do move SLOOOWWW.

View from the top of the Street....

2008-04-30T09:48:00.001-07:00

This is looking south. The yellow-ish building in the center is our apartment building.

More Moravia

2008-04-30T09:19:00.001-07:00

These are pics of the "Feria" (Farmer's Market) in Moravia across the park from our apartment. This market is smaller than the usual weekend market, but it is just across the street and the deals are to be had. Just about anything you can thing of in the line of fruits and vegetables, herbs and potted plants, eggs and cheese (homemade) are available as well.

Moravia

2008-04-29T07:15:00.000-07:00

The actual name of our town is, San Vincente de Moravia. We are about 5 miles northeast of Central San Jose. We are noted for our great climate and for souvenirs. They bring them in by the busloads! The Main town square is pretty typical of Coasta Rican towns; pretty much on this principle of a church and park in the middle and usually a local soccer field very close by. We receive the fresh winds and rain directly from the Carribbean as it blows across the Baurilo Mountain Range. Many times the sun will be shining, but you feel a fine moist mist, almost like a fog you can't see - they call it "pelo de gato" or cat's hair.

The red cars are taxis. By law the taxis have to be red - one reason Dennis won't own a red car (he doesn't want to be mistaken for a taxi), but hey! at least everybody waves at you.

My first blog...

2008-04-22T10:41:00.000-07:00

...who would have thunk it!! On the web and exploring new adventures and frontiers. Yep, that's me. Never could keep me in one place too long.
Well, I have been in Costa Rica almost 5 months now and am loving it. Lot's to get used to (again), but some good changes have come about as well.
Costa Rica is beautiful. Especially if you are here for a visit. Hanging around (anywhere) and one starts to see the rough edges. However, I dwell on the good as I am learning to do that with all things in my life. The crap is just crap....don't worry about it.
Since I have been here, I have lost 20 pounds, I eat a more nutricious diet of frest fruits and vegetables, I walk almost every day at least 3 miles, sometimes more. I am enjoying catching up on my reading and have read some of the best books ever!! Currently I am trying to become involved with some volunteer groups. As with most "new arrivals", all of that takes time.
I hope to use this to show you how great a place this is, to keep up since we all live so far apart and just general sharing of info and opinions.
Well....let's blog!!
"